Days come and by.
How can time pass so fast?
Even with the training at the summer camp, I still don't feel quite the same as before the beating. Is this the reason why athletes fear the idea of getting an injury? I wasn't really thinking so much about it back then, but...
'What if I can't reach the same status I had before that?'
It's not like I used to be at the peak of my current body, deep down I knew it, I still could push more, but... can I do that now? For a moment, I stopped on the track. At a distance, I could see Flashy, highly motivated, running, burning all her energy as she charged recklessly ahead. At this point, it feels like she could easily pull a great escape. Probably the experience she acquired running in that G1 race and the other G2 race she also won was so much more valuable than all my races combined.
"Everything okay, Meek?" Aoi asked, getting near me.
"Nnnn," I answered, nodding and catching in the air the water bottle she threw at me.
She smiled and looked at Flashy, who was running wild like a beast.
"Damn..." Aoi crossed her arms and ran to get near her "Flashy! Don't go so hard! You may get hurt!"
Thinking back to the day we were fightning in the car, Flashy was totally decided to crush me to prove she is the best, she actually wanted to enter the Kyoto Horizon Cup just to prove it, but Aoi ended up scolding her and telling her thats not good, she doesn't oppose for us to compete against each other but she said she won't allow bullying, and to think about the other umas not only me. In the end, she agreed, but it seems her fighting spirit rose even more because she now really wanted to crush me at the Arima Kinnen next year.
'Next year...'
I felt shivers down my body, a mixture of emotion and fear, and some anxiety. Next year, competition will be brutal on the classics... for what I know, Flashy didn't really want but she got convinced to try to go for the triple crown, also Gold Ship will participate... and I feel like things just start to unveil.
Oh, and talking about the devil, it seems finding Fukukitaru is pretty hard. I asked around, and I learned she is here at Tracen, but once she found out I'm looking for her, she started to actively avoid me, running away from me. I still wonder why she seems afraid to come near me, but time ran out, and I started to wrap up the last details for the upcoming race.
Then... I had this problem. Even if they told me the system is a wicked thing, I feel like I'm naked without knowing my stats. The last days I have been training diligently, trying to surpass myself, even trying to get my own aura, but there was no luck, not yet at least.
I closed my eyes and then smiled. The bright side is that my next race at least wouldn't be on a rainy day. Those heavy tracks are hard to run in, and on a sunny day, it would probably be better for me.
'Then I win this race and trap that Fukukitaru girl!' I raised a fist to the skies. 'If needed, I will drag her to a basement!'
Tomorrow will be the day...
I could say I wanted to spend some time with Gold Ship or other girls, but most of the girls I knew were busy one way or another, Flashy was obsessed with training, and even more now that she discovered her aura powers, Gold Ship was helping Orfevre, and Mambo was having the time of her life with exams at her school... I even tried to contact McQueen and Teio, but I couldn't find them... and Haru was about to come back from her trip to the countryside.
...
...
...
Finally, the hour of the race was upon us.
I felt my stomach churn. I believed that I had gotten used to all of this, but that is wishful thinking; it's been too many months since my last race to feel at ease. I think it won't be as easy as it seemed. I have been off the track for so long... and my rivals have been gaining experience.
"I want to win," I said to myself in the tunnel, getting ready. "I need to win."
I could hear the cheers of the people. This is a G3 race; it can't compare to the usual opening races I've been used to. From here on, the difficulty would only ramp up. I closed my eyes and armed myself with courage as I worked on my breathing.
"And finally, but not least, let's welcome to the field Happy Meek as number 8 in this race!"
As I heard my name, I slowly began to walk out, the blazing sun instantly making itself noticed, scorching my skin, a strange day... I get rain on the summer days, and now I get sun when it is supposed to be colder... but once I stepped outside, I got hit by nostalgia and an insane desire to compete, fighting spirit... it might be my uma genetics.
'Now everyone will see... I won't lose!'
I heard some footsteps near me, and I saw Choco Choco, who was saluting me with her hand. I smiled and nodded, it's been months since we haven't clashed... so it might be her chance to get revenge on me.
But... I can't help but feel odd. It's not fear, or anxiety... It's something inside me. Like a slow beating drum, it could be easily confounded with my heartbeat, but deep down I knew it's not that... something inside of me stirs, a drive for something...
"All umas, please approach your gates!" One of the staff members announced, the race was about to start.
I saw most of my rivals walking toward their designated gate. I took a deep breath and began my walk towards mine, gate number 8 out of 9. I have to run outside of this race. According to my meeting with Aoi, this is somewhat a disadvantage, because this side has some extra meters of high ground... It's more demanding on stamina.
(Reloading...)
(Booting...)
(Booting...)
The system in my mind began to spam alerts once again. I almost have learned to ignore it by now... until...
(The administrator has noticed the anomaly and is manually taking care of the problem.)
'?' That was new for me 'What does it me...?'
Then everything went blank for me, and in just a moment, I stopped hearing the fanfare that announced the start of the race. On the blink of a moment, Choco Choco noticed my eyes... my eyes devoid of light of reason.
"Meek?" She said in a hushed tone at the gate near me, "Are you okay?"
"..."
Then the gates opened and all of them started. All except Meek.
(Activating autopilot)